TAMPA — Fearful that continuing to play football might some day reduce his quality of life or even shorten it by a few years, former 49ers LB Chris Borland retired on Monday at the age of 24 after just one NFL season.

TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will go into the start of the free agency signing period today needing fixes at several position groups across the field.

On the face of it, running back would not seem to be one of them, yet reports have surfaced suggesting the Bucs may become players for Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray should he reach the open market.

Why?

Here are three reasons why the Bucs, who appear to have both depth and talent at running back with Doug Martin, Charles Sims and Mike James under contract, might be interested in the NFL’s top 2014 ground gainer.

TAMPA — With the first overall pick in the draft, the Buccaneers are in a position to make what many believe will be a franchise-altering decision this year.

But who will actually make that decision?

Some have speculated that the Glazer family, which owns the team, will have a big say in the matter and may even take the decision out of the hands of general manager Jason Licht and coach Lovie Smith.

TAMPA — Arguably the best football analyst in America, Mike Mayock of the NFL Network is slated to do a conference call later this afternoon in which he’ll discuss the 2015 draft ahead of this week’s start of the NFL Scouting Combine.

Mayock has already spilled the beans, though, regarding his feeling about that which matters most to most fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Speaking to Peter King of NBC Sports and Sports Illustrated in King’s Monday Morning Quarterback column on SI.com, Mayock all but says the Bucs’ seemingly desperate need to fill a hole at quarterback comes at a bad time.